A Trip Above the Arctic Circle
The stunning arctic archipelago of Lofoten
One of our goals when moving to Norway was to take a trip across the arctic circle, and this past weekend we made that happen. From our house to the arctic circle latitude line is about an 8 hours drive. After making it to that pit stop marker, we continued on for another 6 and a half hours to the Lofoten archipelago, a chain of islands in northern Norway. The drive with a 2-year-old in tow was tiring but totally worth it.
After an overnight stay in Mo i Rana on day one of our trip, we continued north for an hour and made it to the arctic circle latitude line. For context, anything above the arctic circle latitude line has at least one 24-hours cycle of daylight and one 24-hours cycle of darkness per year. The destination is marked by a few different monuments as well as a large tourist and visitors center called the Arctic Circle Center at the Polarsirkelen. It’s a quick stop but one that is worth it. There are the usual souvenirs inside but also fun troll and animal displays to see. Our son particularly liked seeing the polar bear and moose. There are also many wool and other material clothing items for sale if you forgot to pack your layers. One more added touch is that you have the ability to send a postcard back home to family and friends from the arctic circle. We didn’t take advantage of this, but I thought it was a fun idea.
From our Polarsirkelen pit stop, we headed further north to Bodø for a lunch break before embarking on a 3 and a half-hour car ferry ride across the Vestfjorden. The weather in Bodø was less than ideal, with rain and chilly winds, so we found a brewhouse to camp out in for lunch and drinks. After lunch we took a quick drive around town before getting in line for the ferry. The ferry takes you and your car from Bodø to Moskenes Municipality on a 3 to 4 hour journey. This was by far the worst part of our trip.
The less than ideal weather conditions on land in Bodø meant even worse weather conditions on the water. The ride was rough and rocky, and many passengers got sick including our toddler and myself. Luckily for us, unfortunately for our friends, we were traveling with another family who helped us through the mess of a ride. Needless to say, we both took some motion sickness medication for the ferry ride back to Bodø at the end of the weekend. It was another hour and a half drive to our rental home once we were on the Lofoten archipelago, but we made it in one piece and got some good rest that night.
Lofoten is home to one of the top golf courses in the world. It’s a challenging and picturesque course that the men of the group got to play Friday afternoon. They said the course lived up to their expectations of being tough, but beautiful. Playing a round of golf in the arctic circle is a cool check off the bucket list for them. Us ladies and my son took a driving tour of the islands with a stop in Svolvær for some thrift shopping and lunch. I got myself a cute $1 Polarsirkelen souvenir coffee mug.
Something you’ll see all over the Lofoten islands are large wooden structures for drying fish. Tørrfisk, or stockfish, is air-dried cod that is traditionally eaten in Norway. It’s generally rehydrated for fish dishes or eaten still dry as a salty snack. This time of year the wooden structures weren’t filled with fish, but they are located all over the island and used for drying the cod, a popular commodity in Norway. I haven’t tried the dried, snack version of tørrfisk yet, but I have had it rehydrated in several dishes. It is delicious and tastes basically like a normal cod filet with maybe a hint of extra salt if you pay close enough attention.
Saturday brought beautiful weather and amazing scenery. The fall colors were showing off and the mountains were breathtaking. We had a packed agenda of outdoor activities for the day, so we were happy the sun was shining. After a breakfast of homemade french toast, we headed to Lofotr Viking Museum.
Lofotr Viking Museum is a must visit if you find yourself on the Lofoten islands. The main attraction is the world’s longest reconstructed viking home. It sits next to the foundation of the original viking home found on a farmer’s land in Borg. It is a truly interactive experience. Workers are inside the home, dressed as vikings and completing every day viking activities. You can speak to them to learn more about what they are doing and what every day life was like for the vikings 1000 years ago. The property is also filled with animals and a path down to the water. At the water’s edge you can try your hand at axe throwing and archery, as well as take a ride on a reconstructed viking ship during the summer months. Refreshments and restrooms are available as well, so you can spend as much time as you’d like at the museum. We had a great time visiting and got to test our archery skills. Not to toot my own horn, but I was inches away from a bullseye shot on my first attempt. A later attempt missed the board altogether, but I’m still learning.
Some of the artifacts within the home date back to the viking ages. Ship wrecks in bogs and marshes led to unimaginable preservation of these artifacts that they have cleaned up and put on display in the home. An example of such can be seen in the photo of the bed and chest below. Both items were found at the bottom of a marsh which kept them so well preserved, archeologists were able to clean them up to the point of them looking brand new.
The plan following the Lofotr Viking Museum was to hit the beach and then hike up a mountain overlooking the same beach. We made it to Haukland beach, but after a few hours of exploring the museum and walking the grounds there, we decided to skip the 1200 foot climb up the mountain. We took in the views of the beach from ground level instead. It was a tropical scene in the north. The beaches are filled with white sands and the water takes on a turquoise color. Seeing it in a picture, you’d think the weather was warm with the sun shining in the background, but it was still chilly. Our toes never touched the sand, but we did get to play in the water and climb on the rocks. We found beautiful seashells and interesting pebbles to throw in the water. Arctic surfing is a popular pass time in Lofoten and we saw some brave visitors taking lessons.
A little tired and soaked through our clothing, we headed to the car and drove back to our rental home for dinner. We enjoyed a lazy evening with a beautiful show from the aurora borealis. The skies were so clear and much darker in our remote location. It was perfect for seeing the dancing lights and changing colors.
Sunday morning was departure day. Nervous for the ferry ride that afternoon, I was a little apprehensive to start the drive. We made a stop for lunch in Reine at Tapperiet Bistro for some tasty fish and chips, then headed to the boat. The weather was kinder on Sunday and the water wasn’t quite as rough. Calmer waters combined with motion sickness medication led to a smoother, less nauseating ride for all of us. We made it across the fjord successfully, stopped for another overnight stay in Mo i Rana, and were home by dinnertime on Monday.
It was a quick trip above the arctic circle to the Lofoten islands, but totally worth it. We lucked out with a couple of sunny days and got to see the fall colors of the islands. This week will be spent recouping from the long drive and catching up on sleep. Another two items were marked off our Norway bucket list this weekend, exploring Lofoten and crossing the arctic circle. Slowly but surely we will see as much as we can throughout this country.
